Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Since I’m not really working, I’ll keep this “baby
porchetta” post short and sweet, and simply let you refer to the video for all
the important stuff. Like how amazing this tasted; and how impossibly moist and
tender it was.

Notwithstanding some overlapped bacon (which I’ll do in a
single layer, in maybe a hotter oven next time), I loved how this came out! I’m
not sure if it will bring you prosperity in the New Year, but this is so good,
who cares?

I want to wish you all a very healthy, and bountiful, 2017! Happy
New Year, and, as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large or 4 smaller portions:

1 boneless pork tenderloin roast, about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds

about 8 strips bacon or enough to wrap

For the spice rub:

1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

3 cloves sliced garlic

1 tablespoon finely sliced sage leaves

2 teaspoons chopped rosemary

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

zest from one lemon

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon olive oil

- Roast at 450 F. about 25 minutes, or until 134 F. internal
temp, which should get you a finished, rested temp of 140-145 F.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Better late than never! Yes, this post was supposed to be done on Monday, letting you all know I was off this week for Christmas break; but apparently with all the drinking, eating, shopping, and drinking, it never got done.

So, just to make it official, I was off this week, and technically next week, since Allrecipes.com is on break until the New Year. However, I will be posting one last video for 2016, after the holiday, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday, and, as always, enjoy!

Friday, December 16, 2016

I never blame people for not wanting to work with fresh
lobsters, but when it comes to lobster tails, there is no excuse. Well, I guess
the enormous price tag is also an excuse, but other than that, no excuse.

Speaking
of price tags, since the recipe is so straightforward, I’ll spend the rest of
the post ranting about pre-thawed lobster at the market. When buying your tails, ask the person working the fish
department to go into the freezer, and get you ones that are still frozen. Lobster
tails are always flash frozen shortly after being caught, and sent to the
grocery store in this state, which is how they should be sold, except they’re
not.

What the grocery store does is thaw them, and pile them in the fish case,
so you think a big batch of fresh lobster tails have just arrived from Cape
Cod. They sit there for a day, or two, or three, getting less
fresh and sweet by the minute. So, bypass the “fresh,” for the frozen, which
are fresher. I really hope that all made sense, but regardless, with fancy
dinner party season in full swing, I really do hope you give these deviled
lobster tails a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

Please note: I never measure when I use this technique, and
so these are just guesses. Everything in this is “to taste,” so work
accordingly.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

I adore a good hollandaise, and couldn’t survive without
mayonnaise, but if I had to pick an all-time favorite ’aise, it might just be
béarnaise. This tarragon-spiked, shallot-infused hollandaise is absolutely perfect
with any and all steaks or roasts; especially lean ones, like our recent
salt-crust beef tenderloin.

A sauce made from 75% butter has some advantages, and
elevating lean meat is just one of them. This is also excellent on potatoes,
vegetables, as well as just about any seafood I can imagine. And as I
mentioned in the video, this can be used to make quite the memorable eggs Benedict.

We’re using the same revolutionary technique here that we
featured in our last hollandaise sauce video, with one small tweak.If you’re feeling lucky, try to create your
hollandaise over medium heat, instead of low. That’s what I usually use, but I
played it safe, and went with low heat in that recipe, even though using medium
is much faster.

You’ll have to keep an eye on things, but you should get
results similar to what you see in this video. By the way, just like when making
regular hollandaise you can adjust the thickness by adding in a little hot
water if necessary. So, whether you’re going to enjoy this with salt-crusted
beef tenderloin, or something else just as special, I hope you give this béarnaise
sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, December 9, 2016

I received a food wish for lomo al trapo a while back, which
I learned is a Colombian method for cooking beef tenderloin. The meat is
encased in salt, wrapped in a kitchen towel, and then set on top of hot coals.

It really sounded amazing, and I wanted to try it, but realized
many of you would have trouble explaining why you were destroying a perfectly
good kitchen towel in the process. So, I decided to try a towel-free salt crust
technique I’d used successfully on prime rib before, and despite some minor
aesthetic issues, it worked amazingly well.

Beef tenderloin is a lean cut of meat, which can make for a
fairly boring roast, but that was not the case here. The tenderloin took on an
intensely beefy flavor, and was so juicy that I thought something was
wrong.There was so much on the cutting
board, I was afraid there wouldn’t be any left in the meat, but I’m happy to
report every single bite was dripping with moisture.

Maybe this summer, when the grill is fired up, and I have one
too many kitchen towels around, I’ll try the real lomo al trapo technique, but
in the meantime I was thrilled with how this came out, and really hope you give
it a try soon. Stay tuned for the béarnaise sauce video, and as always, enjoy!

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

The hardest thing about this amazing
tarte flambée recipe isn’t the prep, or finding some exotic ingredient, it’s
actually trying to explain to your guests why it’s not called pizza. I’m
reminded of that old saying, “If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, and
looks like a duck, sometimes it’s a trout.”

That’s right, while this is a pizza
almost everywhere else, in certain places on the German/French border, it goes
by the totally dessert-sounding name of tarte flambée. Just tell people the
name comes from the fact it used to be cooked in a fire, and then trail off.

Once your crust is pre-browned and
topped, you have several options for bringing this to a successful, and
hopefully crispy conclusion. Since the bottom is already browned, I usually
just broil it on high, about 8 inches from the flame, for about 5 minutes, or
until the top is looking just right.

The other method would be to pop it
in a 500 F. oven, for about 7-10 minutes, or until you’re completely happy. Or, you can
actually do both – start in a hot oven, and then give it a minute under the
broiler to seal the deal. Either way, I really hope you give this tarte flambée
a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, December 2, 2016

And by dream, I mean nightmare. I don’t test recipes. There
is nothing in my contract that requires me to only post successful videos, and
as you longtime viewers know, I do enjoy sharing the occasional flop, but this
new and improved, vanilla bean pastry cream was not a one-take affair.

I’ve wanted to update our old crème patisserie recipe for a
while, and long story short, I became obsessed, and ended up suffering through seven non-perfect versions before I was finally satisfied. The key to a great pastry cream is using the
minimum of starch. You need enough so the cream holds a shape, but not so much it
interferes with the flavor.

I found flour-based pastry creams easy to work with, but
they have more of a pasty mouthfeel that gets in the way of the vanilla. That’s
why this version is all corn starch, which we need less of to do the same job. Just
be careful not to keep cooking it once it has thickened, otherwise you may
compromise its thickening powers.

With the holidays, and their associated fancy desserts,
right around the corner, what better time to work on your pastry cream game? So
whether it’s for Napoleons, pies, tarts, or cakes, I really hope you give this
a try soon. Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

This mille feuille, which I’m sure I pronounced perfectly in
the video, is also referred to as a Napoleon, and is the easiest, “fancy”
pastry I know. The technique for creating your “thousand leaves” is very
simple, especially if you use frozen dough, which any sensible person should
do.

Whether you use frozen or homemade dough, the key is to keep
it flat. We do this by “docking” the dough, and pressing with another pan. I
used a few layers of foil before placing the pan on top, to make sure it was in
contact with the dough, and depending on the size and shape of your pans, you
may need to do the same.

Most patisseriers will make these well ahead, and keep them
in the fridge, so that the pastry softens a bit, as it absorbs moisture from
the filling. This is standard procedure, and they are much easier to eat that
way, but I actually prefer to enjoy them right away, so as to fully experience the
contrast between the crispy, buttery pastry, and the cold, creamy custard.

Stay tuned for the new and improved pastry cream video heading your way soon. In the meantime, your favorite recipe should work,
as well as things like whipped cream, sweetened ricotta/mascarpone, and/or
lemon curd. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

-- Bake at 400 F. for about 15 minutes “pressed,” and then
continue for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered, or until browned and crisp. I
turned mine once during that time.

-- To make the icing, simply add enough water or milk to powdered sugar, until the right consistency is reached.For the chocolate one, I started with one part unsweetened cocoa to four parts powdered sugar, and then stirred in the liquid. Check this video if you are confused.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

While it’s true the “yams” used in this gorgeous candied
yams recipe are really just orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, it’s also true that no
one cares, “yams” sounds better, and takes less characters to share on Twitter.
Like I said in the video, I only mentioned it in case “that guy” is at your
Thanksgiving.

I’m not a huge sweet side dish person, but I do make an
exception for these candied yams, since it’s, well, exceptional. Part of that,
I believe, is using lemon instead of orange juice, since we have plenty of
sweetness, and what we really need is some tartness for balance.

Speaking of sweetness, I like to use a Grade B maple syrup,
since it seems to have a little deeper maple flavor; or at least that’s what
Alton Brown said once, and I believed him. Having said that, any real maple
syrup will be just fine.

This will be our last video before the Thanksgiving holiday,
and I’ll be taking the next few days off, so just a heads-up that I won’t be
around to answer questions on the blog. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Anyway, I want
to wish you all a very healthy, and happy holiday, and I really do hope you
give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, November 18, 2016

Corn pudding doesn’t get the same attention as some other
holiday side dishes, but it’s a real crowd-pleaser that pairs perfect with all
your favorite special occasion meats.

It also looks, and tastes like you have
to be a good cook to make, which happily you don’t. If you have a decent
blender, or food processor, there isn’t much that can go wrong.

If you are sans mechanical pureeing device, you can still
make this by using the corn kernels whole. In fact, many corn pudding makers
will leave some portion whole for texture, but as I said in the video, I like
the smooth version best.

The pan under the baking dish is optional, and if you’re in
a hurry, you can skip it, which will cut about 15 to 30 minutes off your
cooking time; but I like that it slows the cooking, which I think improves the
texture. You can do the same thing with a water bath, but that’s slightly more
work, and this really isn’t that temperamental of a recipe.

Speaking of cooking time, I used an 8” x 11” baking dish,
which is kind of an odd size, so if you use the more common 9” x 12” casserole,
you’ll have to test for doneness, as the batter will probably cook faster.
Either way, if you’re looking for aspecial holiday side dish, or just
something delicious to throw next to sausage on a Tuesday night, I really hope
you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for a 12 portions:

2 pounds frozen yellow corn (buy premium quality)

3 tablespoons maple syrup

6 large eggs

1/2 cup milk 3 teaspoons kosher salt (1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup melted butter, divided (2/3 for batter, 1/3 for
baking dish)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

- Place baking dish on a sheet pan and bake at 350 F. for between
60 and 75 minutes, or until brown and just set. You may need to adjust for different
size/shape baking dishes.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Just wanted to let everyone know I’ll be on vacation until
the middle of next week, and no, it’s not because I’m moving to Canada. Not
sure how this rumor got started, but it's not true, and besides,
California is way more of a foreign country than Canada will ever be.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing break, and suggest
you use this time to catch up on all the videos you’ve missed. We have lots. Thank
you, and we’ll see you next week!

Friday, November 4, 2016

This can be a strange time of year for weather in San
Francisco. Our climate can suddenly swing from hot and humid, to cold and wet; which
makes this potato leek soup a very valuable addition to the recipe repertoire.

There is nothing better on a chilly, damp day than a
steaming bowl of this; and conversely, few things are as delicious, and
refreshing on a hot, sweaty day than a bowl of ice cold vichyssoise. As long as
you cook the leeks long enough, you can’t go wrong either way.

Since the amounts of leeks and potatoes in yours may not
be exactly the same as mine, be prepared to adjust the amount of stock in this
recipe. It's always easier to add than reduce, so as long as your potatoes are
covered, I’d play it by ear until it’s blended, and go from there. So, no
matter what the weather, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 1/2 pound leeks (about 4 or 5)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 1/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes

3 to 4 cups chicken broth/vegetable stock, or as needed to
adjust the thickness

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

I’ve never shared the same love for veal osso buco that most
of my fellow Italian food fans profess, and it’s been the source of a fair
amount of introspection. Was there something wrong with me? It’s a sticky,
succulent shank, braised until fork tender; what’s not to like? Then I made it
with pork, and figured it out.

It comes out too good with the veal shank. Because of their
massive quantities of connective tissue, the sauce veal shanks produce is rich,
sticky, and sweet; which I personally find overpowering. It’s great for a few
bites, but then I’m over it, quickly. On the other hand, pork shank isn’t quite
as rich, and gelatinous, and I personally enjoy it much better.

For some of the same reasons, I don’t generally reduce the
sauce too much. It’s not supposed to be a very thick sauce, and I’m generally
happy to get to the coats-the-back-of-a-spoon stage. Anyway, whether you use
veal or pork, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Making your own “fancy” crackers at home is a fairly basic
operation, and not only will they be less expensive, but you can customize them
anyway you want. Whether those reasons are good enough is for you to decide,
but if they are, your efforts will be rewarded… with crackers just as good as
the ones from the store.

As I mentioned in the video, there are two types of
“crackers;” the crispy, delicate, flaky, biscuit-style; and the flatbread-style
we’re making here. These are much more like a fried pita chip, than a saltine,
which is perfect for pairing with cheese. There’s nothing worse than trying to
cheese a too-brittle cracker, three drinks in, and having it explode in your hand.

The recipe and technique are very simple, but please pay
attention to your baking time. My “12-15 minutes,” is just a rough guess, and
it will depend on the thickness of your dough. I would start checking at 10
minutes, and go from there. Other than that, not much can go wrong. With prime
cheese and cracker season upon us, I really hope you give these a try soon.
Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Gnocchi alla Romana are as delicious, as they are virtually
unknown. I feel like I’ve eaten a fair amount of Italian food, and I’ve been to
Rome, but it wasn’t until late in life that I discovered these wonderful, baked
semolina dumplings.

Above and beyond their exquisite texture, and great taste, I
love their versatility. They’re a world-class side dish as is, but can be
paired with your favorite pasta sauce, and served as an appetizer, or entrée.
Rave reviews should come your way; along with lots of “But, why are these
called gnocchi, again?”

For a great winter twist, you can place some sage leaves in between
the gnocchi before baking them, and they’d be perfect at any holiday feast. In
fact, now I’m upset I didn’t do that this time. I’m going to have to make
another batch. Anyway, I really do hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 16 Roman-Style Gnocchi:

Note: I used a 2.75-inch cutter

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1 1/4 cup semolina

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (only about
1.25 ounces by weight, but if you grate it on a microplane, it will easily fill
a cup)

Friday, October 21, 2016

It’s kind of nice when the name of a recipe is simply what’s
in it, as is the case with this pan of roasted chicken, sausage, peppers, and
potatoes. As soon as you see the words, you know exactly what you’re getting
into.

The only problem is, “chicken, sausage, peppers, and potatoes,” uses up a lot of
characters on Twitter, so if you did have an idea for a shorter and/or catchier name, I’m
all ears.

By the way, the two most important things here are not on
the ingredient list. That would include a large, heavy-duty roasting pan, as
well as a very hot oven. Hopefully, you have something similar to what I used,
but if not, you can divide everything up between several smaller casserole dishes; or even
use those large, disposable aluminum pans.

I went with hot Italian sausage here, since it so
highly-seasoned, but you can really tailor a dish like this to your personal
tastes, by switching up what you use, as well as the herbs, and seasonings. No matter what you include, just be sure to season generously, and leave it in the
oven long enough. We want everything beautifully caramelized, and our
chicken fork tender. I really hope
you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

This is a very unlikely post, considering the fact I’m not a
big fan of snickerdoodles, and generally loathe adding pumpkin spice to non-pie
things, such as coffee and beer. Despite that, I had a feeling the pumpkin
spice would work perfectly with the buttery, cinnamon sugar cookie, and it did.

Unfortunately, a quick Google search showed I hadn’t
invented it, and there were thousands of variations; from thin and chewy,
featuring crisp edges, to much taller, pillowy versions. I decided to go thin,
and adapted this snicker doodle recipe, from Averie Cooks.

One common denominator was the use of baking soda, plus
cream of tartar, instead of baking powder. Since that’s pretty much what baking
powder is, I don’t see what the big difference would be either way, but I
thought I would mention in case you refuse to go out and buy cream of tartar.
Either way, I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, October 14, 2016

I love berbere spice, but it never occurred to me to make my
own. I usually get it pre-mixed from the fancy grocery store, and it’s never
disappointed, but I’ve wanted to feature it in a recipe, so I figured I’d also
show how to make a batch from scratch.

Well, sort of from scratch. To make this “for real,” you
need to buy the whole spice seeds/pods, toast them, and grind it yourself. It
does make a difference, but I rationalize not doing all that extra work because
I usually toast the spices during the cooking process anyway.

I’m not exactly sure what dried chili pepper(s) would be
most authentic, but many people are saying that the New Mexico chili I used
does a nice job. They have a nice, sweet, earthy flavor, and
are sort of medium spicy. If you can’t find it, they say California or ancho
chilies can work.

Like I said in the video, please use
the ingredients and amounts below as an outline, and adjust this to your
tastes. Once you’ve perfected your formula, you’ll be the proud owner of one of
the most delicious, and versitle spice mixes ever. I hope you give this a try
soon. Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

It’s not completely accurate to say this is my recipe for
sausage pasta fazool, since I’ve probably never made this the same way twice,
but that’s just the kind of dish it is. In fact, I rarely even make it on purpose,
but rather as a way to use up leftover meat. Regardless of what you use, this
is classic Italian-American comfort food at its finest.

Having said that, if you were going to make this
intentionally, this particular array of ingredients does work quite well. Sausage
is always a great choice for a sauce, since not only do we get our meat, we
also get all the associated garlic, herbs, and spices for free.

Speaking of the herbs and spices, I went with “sweet”
Italian, because I really like how the anise and fennel seeds work with the
beans, but any variety of fresh or dried sausage can be used. So, don’t feel
like you have to wait for “one of those days” before giving this a try. Enjoy!